Swiss insurers offer discounts for sharing health data

Private health insurance companies have started offering rebates to Swiss clients who are willing to share physical activity data through wearable health-monitoring devices.  Strict data protection laws in Switzerland have not dissuaded the first pioneers from testing the waters on participatory health data sharing. Currently, two companies – CSS and Swica – offer Swiss consumers the chance to lower their health insurance premiums by attaining physical activity goals monitored by wearable devices. CSS was the first to introduce the option from July 1 through its myStep plan that offers its clients CHF0.40 ($0.40) for each day they manage to walk a minimum of 10,000 steps.  “So far, around 2,800 of our existing clients have signed up for it. We consider it a success given the outcome in such a short period,” CSS spokesperson Nina Mayer told swissinfo.ch.  Swica’s Benevita plan offers premium reduction to clients who connect their smartphones or wearable devices to ...